Apparatus



v 1,551,485 R. H. HEMPHILL ICE MAKING APPARATUS Filed July 10. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. Z5,` 1925.

. l l N lv TJ WITNESSES 5 Aug. 25, 19'25.

R. H. HEMPHILL 10E MAKING 'APPARATUS Filed July y10. 1923 5 sheets-sheet 2 www.

f f mw# QAF INVENTOR I I I I I Il l l l ||l ATTORNEY WITNESSES R. H. HEMPHILL.

GE .MAKING APPARATUS Filed July 10. 1923 Aug. z5, 1925.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,485

R. H. HEMPHILL ICE MAKING APPARATUS INVENTOR 2/,awww BY g Y y@ @im 4 i Patented Aug. 25, 1925.'

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT n. TTEMPHTLL, or CHARLESTON, SOUTH 'cAROLINA, As'sIGNoR To Pluck COMPANY, or wAYNEsBoRo, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

ICE-MAKING APPAImJTUs.-

Application mea July 1o, 192s.y serial-No. 650,707.

' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to improved refrigerating methods and appa.

-ratus, and aims to providev a novel air conditioning apparatus -for air agitating systems such as is employed in raw Vwater ice plants, similar to that disclosed in the patent of R. F. Lindsay and H. Hemphill, No. 1.442,410, dated Jan ary 16, 1923, though not limited strictly thereto.

The object of the invention is to provide a means and method b which the same air, substantially, is use continuously in circulation, being discharged below the surface Aof water in the freezing -cans or containers, returning through the suction pipes to the forcing means. v f

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown two embodiments of myv invention for purposes of illustration,

Figure 1 isa a vertical sectional view of a'pparatus constructed for carrying out my invention;

Figure 2 is a lplan view;

Figure 3 is a view in elevation showing the manner in which the covers of the brine tank control the actuation of the air valves;

Figure 4 is an elevation ofithe preferred type of air valve;

Figure 5 is a side view of the same with parts'in section; and y Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing a modified form ofthe invention. j 'f In the particular embodiment of my inventio selected for illustration in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the brine tank 5 has the usual ammonia refrigerating coils 6, freezing cans or containers 7 immersed in brine (not shown), and hinged covers 8 completely closing the top of the tank. In Figure l a partition 9 is shown which may divide the freezing ,tank intol two separate compartments, but the number of partitions 9 will degend largely upon the size of the ice plant.

everal of the ice cans 7 are shown in Figported in any suitable way, for example by an attachment 11, such as is shown and described in the aforesaid patent of R. F. Lind-y say and R. H. Hemphill. Theupp'er ends ofthe agitating tubes 10 may be supplied with compressed air through a hose 12, and asbest shown in Figure 2, the hose 12` from the agitating tubes in adjacent cans are Icon- 'nected to compressed air supply .pipes 13, whichpreferablyextend above and throughout the entire length ofthe freezing tank and are closed at`their ends 14. At their opposite ends,the airsupply pipes 13 are connected with a header 15,y into which a blower or pump, or other air forcing means 716gA continuously delivers a supply of air.I

The blower 16 may be driven in any preferred manner, as for example by electric motor 17 (Figure 2).`

In anordinary air agitating system, whether employing high or low pressure, the

blower has its suction vpipe open to the at-` mosphere, and atmospheric air is drawn through the blower and discharged into the pressure pipes forming the distributing system, and from the pressure pipes to the freezing water in the cans, whence it escapes to the atmosphere. Because of the relatively high temperature of and the impurities in atmospheric air, and because of the variance in its moisture content from day to day, and even from hour to hour, it is necessary to introduce a cooling, cleaning and dehydrating apparatus in the discharge system of the blower so that theatmospheric air may be properly conditioned for use in agitating bes. The principal objections to the ordiary air agitating system are, first, thatv there are refrigerating losses caused bythe reduction of thetemperature of the air vto the freezingpoint of water; second, that the airmust bewashed to be'free from dust and deleterious gases; and third, there must" necessaril be 4constant supervision and regulation o such an apparatus to obtain uniformly conditioned air. By the present invention all of these and'- other objectionable features arev entirely eliminated, because substantially the same air is lused over and over again without material dilution or contamination with atmospheric air.

In the embodiment of the invention shown inFigures 1 and 2 the blower 16 is substantially closed to the atmosphere, .but has a plurality of intakesinto which pipes 18 dis-y charge air. There may be two pipes 18 as shown, each of which provides a suction header arranged on opposite sides of the brine tank, from which header smaller pipes on laterals 19 extend to the interior of the freezing tank, as best shown in Figure 1. In order to prevent material rise in temperature of the,air circulating through pipes 13, 15, 18 and 19, all these pipes may be insulated where exposed to the atmosphere, or

preferably the entire installation, including the blower, will be maintained at or below 32 F.

The flow of air' through each of the pipes 19 is controlled by a valve 20 of any well known construction, for example, as shown as shown in Figure 3, at which time the Valves 20 will be moved downwardly and opened thereby allowing passage of air through pipes 19, thus setting up the circulation of the agitating air through the system.l y

In the operation of the system, the blower forces air through pipes 15 and- 13 and through hose 12 and the agitator tube 10 into the freezing cans. From the surface of the water in the freezing cans the air emerges and is drawn off by means of suction from the pipes 19, and so passes through the headers 18 back to the blower again. After the freezing of the cakes of ice, vit is necessary to lift the ice cans or containers out of the freezing tank, and in order to do this, one or more of the coversl 8 must be lifted (Figure 3). At such' a time it is desirable to check `the flow of air through that D portion of the system which is open to atmospheric air. The automatic closing of the valves- 2O by the opening of the covers 8 prevents any material contamination or dilution of the agitating air' supply a'nd any material rise in its tem erature.

Inthe particular embodiment o vmy invention shown in Figures 6 and 7, the air conditioning apparatus is disclosed as applied to plants alread in use. The brine tank 5, the coils 6, reezing cans 7, and

removable covers 8, which completely close the top of the tank and are preferably supported on the beams 9 ywhich separate the rows offreezing cans, are of the well known construction. v

The cans or containers are provided with centrally depending air agitating tubes 10, supported by the attachment 11, such as is described and claimed in the aforesaid patent of Lindsay and Hemphill. The upper ends of the agitating tubes 10 may be supplied with compressed air through lengths of hose 12, which are connected to compressed air supply pipes 13. The pipes. 13 are preferably square in cross section, as shown in Figure G, and hence may be readily secured to the top edges of beams 9, and provide convenient supports for the removable covers 8.

At one end, the pipes 13v are closed as indicated at 14, (Fig. 7), while their other ends are joined with a header 15 extending preferably along one side or end of the brine tank and connected to the discharge side of a blower 16 driven by a motor 17 or the like. The blower is preferably closed to the atmosphere. As shown, the pipes 13 are supported upon each alternate beam 9 and extend in the saine direction in parallel lines, while other similar suction pipes 18 are supported Vupon the other beams and' eX- tend in the opposite direction from a suction header 19 connected with the intake side of the blower 16.' Opposite and adjacent to each freezing can, the suction pipes 18 are perforated at 18, so that air arising from the surface of the water in the freezing cans may be vdrawn olf and re-circnlated through the system. The pipes 18 are closed at ends 20. It is obvious that it is immaterial whether the' suction and discharge pipes are parallel, the important point be ing that each freezing can be served by both ,a suction and discharge pipe.

In the operation of this form of the in 15 and 13 and through hose 12 and tubes 10 into the freezing cans, from which the airl rises in bubbles to the surface of the water, and is drawn off by the 'suction through the perforations in pipes 18 and so passes back vto the blower again. In order to prevent material rise in temperature of the supply of agitating air, headers 415 and 19 and the blower itself should be insulated where exposed to the atmosphere, or preferably the entire installation is maintained at or below 32 F; When one or more of the covers are lifted for the removal of a can of completely frozen ice, the circulation of agitating air is not interfered with, because of the greater density of air at 320, and substantially no dilution of or contamination by the atmosphere takes place. Moreover, as in actual practice, only a small portion of the freezing tank is uncovered at'an' one time, the dilution by atmospheric air is negligible.

It isobvious that they present systenris wholly automatic, since the air as it issues cfrom the surface of the freezing water'` in the cans is in anideal condition for re-use for agitation, and that after the system is once installed no superintendence is necesa Vvention the blower forces air through pipes sary to effect the properconditioning of the air. Notable economies in the operation of an ice plant may be effected by my invention, which eliminates all air conditioning apparatus and the necessarily expensive maintenance thereof.

My invention obviously is not restricted to the particular embodiments thereof herein illustrated and described, nor is it restricted to ice manufacturing.

By the words direct and directly in the claims, I intend to exclude a construction wherein the air is conditioned outside the refrigerator by being passed through a brine chamber.

What is claimed is 1. In an ice-making plant, the combination of a brine tank having a hinged cover, a freezing can in said tank, a conduit for conducting agitating air into the interior of the can,.a blower forcing air to said conduit, a suction pipe connecting the blower with the interior of the tank, and a valve in the suction pipe actuated by movement of the cover so as to be open when the cover is shut and closed when the cover is .partly or wholly open.

2, In an ice-making plant, the combination of a brine tank having a partition therein dividing the tank above the surface of the brine into a plurality of non-communicating compartments, a cover closing the top of each compartment, a freezing can in each compartment, a conduit conducting. agitatmgair into the interior of each. can,

,a blower forclng air to sald condults, a suction pipe connecting each compartment with the suction side of the blower, and a valve provided in each suction pipe and closed by raising of the cover.

3. In an ice-making plant, the combination of a freezing tank, containers in said tank, above t e tops of said containers and separating the upper part of said tank into com- 'responding conduit when the, cover opened, substantially as set forth. artitions between and extending partments through which the said containers or the contents thereof may be introduced and withdrawn from said freezing tank, an air circulating system consisting of an air pumping device and a series of 4suction and discharge pipes suitably connected lwith the suction and discharge sides respectively of said air pumping device, said pipes being arranged alternately above the partitions between successive pairs of containers, and depending tubes connected at each side of the discharge pipes said tubes extending into said containers and providing with said pipes direct communication from the pumplng device to the containers.y

when the cover is opened, substantially asy set forth.

5. In an ice-making plant, a refrigeratlng tank having means to divide the air-space therein into a plurality of separate compartments with an opening into each compartment, a water container in each compartment removable through the opening therein, a cover for each of said openings, conduits for leading air into each container, means to force air through said conduits, conduits `for returning air from the containers to said forcing means, and means in connection with each cover for interruptingthe flow of the returning air in the cor- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

ROBERT H. H EMPHILL. 

